Pool pump dispensers

Abstract

A method and dispenser for maintaining a body of water in a swimming pool free of algae with the dispenser water mateable to a surface within a pool pump basket to deliver at least one dispersant to the pool water flowing through the pool pump basket.

We claim: 
     
       1. A swimming pool system comprising:
 a swimming pool; 
 a skimmer basket in said swimming pool for separating an article of debris from a stream of pool water flowing through the skimmer basket and into a pool water circulation line; 
 a pool pump basket having a plurality of openings therein, said pool pump basket located on an inlet side of a pool pump in the pool water circulation line; 
 
       a water deformable algaecide dispenser located in the pool pump basket with the water deformable algaecide dispenser having a set of openings therein to permit flow of the pool water therethrough, said algaecide dispenser having an external water-mateable surface mateable to an internal surface of the pool pump basket in response to a water pressure exerted by the pool water being drawn through the algaecide dispenser in the pool pump basket while allowing water and debris to move within the pool pump basket;
 an algaecide located in said algaecide dispenser; and 
 the pool pump having an inlet for drawing the pool water into the pool water circulation line and through the algaecide in the algaecide dispenser before releasing the pool water with the algaecide in a diluted condition into the swimming pool through the pool water circulation line. 
 
     
     
       2. The swimming pool system of  claim 1  wherein the algaecide dispenser comprises a flexible porous fabric packet that conforms to a shape of the pump basket as water flows through the pool pump basket and the flexible porous fabric packet to restrain the algaecide dispenser therein. 
     
     
       3. The swimming pool system of  claim 1  where the algaecide comprises a source of copper and a plurality of chelators. 
     
     
       4. The swimming pool system of  claim 1  wherein the algaecide comprises copper and is provided together with a silver sanitizer in a single mixed all-solid product. 
     
     
       5. A pool pump basket dispenser comprising:
 a pool pump basket, the pool pump basket having a web structure bounding a plurality of openings through which water can flow, the pool pump basket having a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom of the pool pump basket, with the web structure bounding the plurality of openings being at both the bottom and sidewall of the pool pump basket, such that the plurality of openings includes both: (i) openings in the bottom of the pool pump basket, and (ii) openings in the sidewall of the pool pump basket; 
 a water porous flexible fabric packet having a dispersant compartment therein; and 
 an algaecide located within an algaecide compartment in said water porous flexible fabric packet, said water porous flexible packet placed directly in the pool pump basket and retained in a dispensing condition within the pool pump basket with said water porous flexible fabric packet having sufficient porosity to allow a stream of water to be drawn through the fabric packet and the algaecide therein as the stream of water is sucked through the pool pump basket by a pump located downstream of the pool pump basket, said stream of water mateably maintaining the flexible fabric packet stably against an internal surface of the pool pump basket through an interlocking engagement of flexible fabric of the packet with the web structure of the pool pump basket as the algaecide is metered into a swimming pool in a water diluted condition as the stream of water flows through the algaecide located within the water porous flexible fabric packet. 
 
     
     
       6. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the algaecide is a dry copper algaecide. 
     
     
       7. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the water porous flexible fabric packet contains a chelator. 
     
     
       8. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein
 at least a portion of said flexible fabric packet has pores therein for ingress and egress of water through the packet with the egress of water carrying diluted algaecide into a stream of water flowing through the pool pump basket and into the swimming pool while preventing release of the algaecide in an undiluted condition. 
 
     
     
       9. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein
 the algaecide comprises a plurality of granular particles. 
 
     
     
       10. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the algaecide comprises copper and is provided together with a silver sanitizer in a single mixed all-solid product. 
     
     
       11. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the internal surface of the pool pump basket against which the flexible fabric packet is stably retained is defined by the bottom of the pool pump basket, such that the pool pump basket dispenser is configured to pass water flow through the algaecide located within the water porous flexible fabric packet and then through the openings in the bottom of the pool pump basket. 
     
     
       12. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the flexible fabric packet is stably retained against both the bottom and sidewall of the pool pump basket. 
     
     
       13. The pool pump basket dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the flexible fabric packet is in the form of a rectangular packet and the bottom of the pool pump basket has a circular shape. 
     
     
       14. An algaecide packet for placement in a pump basket of a swimming pool water circulation system, the algaecide packet comprising:
 a water porous fabric to allow water to flow into and out of the algaecide packet when the algaecide packet is located in the pump basket of the swimming pool water circulation system; and 
 an algaecide located in the packet, where the algaecide contains copper sulfate pentahydrate together with zinc sulfate monohydrate and at least two chelators selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), sodium gluconate, triethanolamine hydrochloride, and citric acid. 
 
     
     
       15. The algaecide packet of  claim 14  where the algaecide packet contains 50% copper sulfate pentahydrate by weight, 10% zinc sulfate monohydrate by weight, 10% ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) by weight, 10% sodium gluconate by weight, 10% triethanolamine hydrochloride by weight, and 10% citric acid by weight. 
     
     
       16. The algaecide packet of  claim 14  wherein the algaecide packet includes a coating that retains powder contents within the algaecide packet during shipping and handling but that dissolves when the algaecide packet is used in the pump basket of the swimming pool water circulation system. 
     
     
       17. The algaecide packet of  claim 14  wherein the algaecide consists of a single mixed all-solid product. 
     
     
       18. A swimming pool dispensing system including an algaecide located within a mesh bag, the algaecide comprising copper, wherein the mesh bag resides in a water mateable condition in a pump basket of a water circulation system of a swimming pool, the swimming pool dispensing system including an algaecide/clarifier/flocculant composition comprising an all-solid powder mixture including a powder form of a chelate triethanolamine hydrochloride. 
     
     
       19. A swimming pool dispensing system including an algaecide located in a water deformable algaecide packet, the algaecide comprising copper, the water deformable algaecide packet configured to be water mated in a pump basket of a water circulation system of a swimming pool, such that the swimming pool dispensing system includes an algaecide/clarifier/flocculant composition produced by an all-solid powder mixture, including a powder form of a chelate triethanolamine hydrochloride, being
 compressed into a tablet or pellet.